How China is making its desert areas green

Can desert or barren land be converted into arable land? If we look at the efforts of China in recent years, then the answer to this question will definitely be yes. 41.3 percent of the Earth’s total land is dry barren land or desert. Only 12 percent of China’s 3.5 million square miles of land is arable. In recent years, China has converted barren land into arable land using new technology. But along with its advantages there are also some disadvantages. Which are having an impact on the Earth’s climate, biodiversity and the overall ecological balance.

Chinese researchers claim
Agricultural land is of great importance for countries like China and India in the world. On one hand, efforts are underway to save the presently available cultivable land from becoming barren. At the same time, China has surprised everyone with its new technology. In 2016, researchers from China’s Changping Jiaotong University claimed that they had developed a new technology that could convert deserts into arable land.

What did the researchers do?
This technique uses a paste made from plant cellulose, which greatly increases the ability of desert sands to retain water, minerals, air, microorganisms, and plant nutrients. The paste was applied to a 1.6-hectare sandy plot of the Ulan Buh Desert in the Mongolian Autonomous Region. Over time this plot turned into an arable farm where tomato, rice, watermelon, maize can be grown.

how beneficial is this
Professor Yang Qintagou of Jiaotong University says that the cost of artificial materials and machines used to convert sand into soil is less than that of environmentally controlled agriculture. Chinese researchers say that plants grown in sandy fields have higher yields and require the same amount of water as normal soil. Apart from this, the consumption of fertilizers used in it is also less.

China has made many of its deserts green. (symbolic photo: shutterstock)

Climate Change: Amazon forest became the producer of CO2, why research is saying this

This is not the first time such an attempt has been made
This research has been done by Chinese scientists Yi Zhijian and Zhao Chaohua. His study has been published in the English Journal of Engineering. Which has also been released in the Chinese Academy of Engineering. This is not the first such effort in China. China started the three-north refuge forest program in the year 1978. Also called the Three-Northshelterbelt program or the Great Green Wall. Its goal was to expand the vast Gobi desert and implement afforestation projects there. This program was also successful.

This effort of China gives hope in the direction of saving barren lands. (symbolic photo: shutterstock)

largest afforestation program
China claims that this program has been the most successful rehabilitation program in the world. In this, afforestation was done in an area of ​​336,200 square kilometers. NASA’s satellite photos also confirm that China’s forest cover has increased in the last 20 years. But in many areas the same type of plants were planted, which reduced biodiversity and diseases increased in plants. At the same time, after huge plantation in many places, a severe lack of maintenance was found.

Earth History: Plants that came to Earth 400 years ago changed the climate control system

Of course, despite some flaws, China has been successful to a great extent in its objectives. If all deserts were to disappear in this way, it would be a big achievement in terms of food security. The scope of biodiversity will also increase. But this will also lead to ecological imbalance. Deserts are helpful in controlling the temperature of the world. Products like potassium, borate, gypsum, nitrate are found in them. Nevertheless, China’s efforts are commendable and give hope for the barren lands.

Read Hindi News online and watch Live TV on Hindi website. Know news related to country and abroad and your state, Bollywood, sports world, business.

.

Orignally published at Tailored Stash